Two Hands on the Wheel, Two Eyes on the Road

Americans
today are facing a danger that has slipped under the radar for far
too long, one of similar peril to that of the Vietnam war, driving.
Driving takes the lives of more than 34,000 people per year, but what
is it about driving that makes it so dangerous? Well studies show
that the blame falls to distracted driving, specifically texting and
driving. This emerging information has sparked fierce debate over the
course of action, but yet has only resulted in a law that bans
texting and driving, or any distracted driving for that matter. The
problem with that is that as with any law, there are some that are
willing to break it, the only difference being there are more people
who are willing to break this law and drive distractedly. It is now
time to look for solutions beyond the capabilities of the law, this
could be increased education regarding the moral/logical implications
behind distracted driving or even engineering barriers created to
deter motorists from partaking in it.

When
it comes to the prospect of education, the task falls onto the
younger upcoming drivers going through the course of drivers
education. This course already details this danger to some degree,
but lacks the depth and meaning to impact these younger generations.
After departing drivers ed most individuals have not had sufficient
training on this danger and because of this they leave without full
preparation for proper driving. If only the curriculum for teaching
beginning drivers could be updated to not only list the statistics,
but inform drivers how this danger could directly affect them,
including true stories of catastrophic situations. This could lead to
drivers developing a greater sense of respect for the road ahead of
them, which in turn would save lives.

There
is then the possibility of technology to prevent these situations
from ever occurring. This type of technology already exists within
cars, used within seat belt systems, setting off alarms any time the
seat belt is not buckled after reaching a set mph. If this technology
could be implemented for drivers causing them to have two hands on
the wheel, it would limit the opportunity for distracted driving to
ever occur.

I
myself have never been in a wreck, but I have witnessed both family
members and friends of all ages use their cell phones while driving,
completely oblivious to what’s ahead. In these types of
circumstances I have to wonder, if there had been an object on the
road, would I still be here today.

In to
become a safer driver and display habits of a responsible driver I
can refrain from cell phone usage while driving, while making sure to
always maintain focus on the road ahead. In short if Americans can
keep two eyes on the road ahead and two hands on the wheel,
postponing their texts and Snapchats until after they park, our
country would see an extreme decline in car accidents, saving the
lives of thousands of individuals.